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23 <br />NORTH CAROLINA'S FARMLAND PRESERVATION PROGRAM - <br />TO KEEP AGRICULTURE A VIABLE AND PROFITABLE <br />COMPONENT OF OUR ECONOMY AND TO PRESERVE OUR <br />RURAL LANDS HERITAGE <br />February, 2001 <br />North Carolina Farmland Losses <br />Farms, farmland and farmers are being lost at an alarming rate in North <br />Carolina. Statistics show that NC lost about 1,500,000 acres of farmland and <br />forestland to development between 1982 -97, over a third of those acres being <br />prime farmland. During that same period 17,000 farms went out of business. <br />Since 1992 the average annual rate of conversion of North Carolina farmland <br />and forestland to development exceeded 100,000 acres a year. North Carolina <br />ranked 6th nationally in conversion of rural land to development. North Carolina <br />has one of the lowest amounts of preserved farmland in comparison to the <br />country's other ten most populous states. <br />With so many farmers giving up agriculture and the average age of the <br />North Carolina farmer being in the late 50's, and with young people being turned <br />away from entering agriculture by low profits, high land values.and high start-up <br />costs, the future of our agriculture heritage is at a critical cross - roads. <br />Why Should North Carolina Care? <br />Every year approximately 100,000 people come to live in North Carolina. <br />Many of the people and businesses are attracted to North Carolina because of <br />our rural beauty.and heritage, yet few, if any, come to become a part of our <br />agriculture heritage. Some of our state's highest valued farmland for fruits, row <br />crops, vegetables and dairy products are on the urban edge, and are subject to <br />increasing development pressures. Our state's unique cultural, educational and <br />political institutions were crafted from our agrarian roots. As our state loses its <br />agriculture land, many traditions, lifestyles and values are fading and may be <br />lost forever. In addition to promoting sound local economies, healthy farms and <br />farmers help communities maintain their rural culture and heritage. <br />At the same time, citizens polled in national surveys have consistently <br />cited protecting farmland as one of their top quality of life issues. Agriculture is <br />this state's #1 economic engine. Tourism, which is highly dependent on the <br />state's rural beauty, is the state's #2 economic engine. From a local <br />perspective, elected officials and public managers are beginning to recognize <br />